Page 20 of Falling for You
I sit on the stool next to me and turn to face Emma. She steps in between my legs with Olivia between us.
“She looks just like you.” She smiles at me. “I got their information and I called Violet. They’re paid up for the week so I don’t think they’re just ditching her. They said we could call them, and that they set up a paternity test in Portland that will get you the results in a day or two. They aren’t bad people, Rome. They just want to do what is best for their daughter’s wishes and their granddaughter.”
“This is so messed up, Sunshine.” I lean my head on her shoulder.
“We’ll get through it.” She strokes my hair, and Olivia wiggles in her arm.
I drop my hand from where it’s resting on Em’s hip and reach up to brush the baby’s chubby cheek with the back of my finger. Her head turns to face me, and I see her golden eyes up close with their specks of dark espresso across the gold.
There is no denying she’s mine.
“You don’t—” I’m interrupted by the front door swinging open.
“Hey, boss! Woah. What happened here? We have a baby shower here today?” My opening server waltzes through the door missing the mark on the emotional read of the room.
“No.”
She stops and takes in the sight in front of her. My hand wrapped around Emma’s thigh, her arm resting on my shoulder, and my other hand on the cheek of the baby in between us.
“Uh… I think I’m just going to go out back and start wrapping silverware.” She practically runs back to the kitchen, probably already pulling her phone out texting the rest of the staff.
“Listen, you have to get the brewery situated. Why don’t I bring her to the inn, Mom can help me take care of her until you can get away. And if it gets too late I’ll bring her back to your house, okay?” Emma leans her forehead onto mine.
“I can’t make you take this on, Sunshine. It’s not fair. Not after what I’ve been doing to you. I can’t ask you to do this for me.”
“I’m offering, Rome. And we’re friends if nothing else. Let me help you.”
What did I do in life to deserve her? The answer is nothing. I’ve done nothing and I don’t deserve her, that’s the truth.
“Yeah, okay. When Clark gets here I’ll help them through the dinner rush and then come meet you.” I release my hold on her.
“Are you going to tell Hunter?” I stare at her, “I mean about Olivia. He’s probably at my cabin, which means he’ll stop in for dinner from Violet.”
She backs up moving toward the table to pack up Olivia’s items.
“Oh. Right. I guess I should.” I grab the heavier items and lug them out to my truck. Since she walked here she will need a way to get home.
Once I get everything in I’m tasked with a carseat, and what Emma has told me is a car seat base. You need a damn engineering degree to get this thing in. I’m on my third YouTube video for instruction and I think it’s finally in. I grip the edge and pull it, it doesn’t budge.
“You get it?” I look over my shoulder to see Emma with Olivia, shielding her head from the sun with a blanket.
“Maybe ask Anna to look at it for me? She must know what she’s doing after raising six of you.”
She laughs half-heartedly at my attempted joke, “Yeah I’ll ask her. She is already on her way to the inn.”
Emma places the carseat on the base like a pro. It makes me wonder if she watched as many videos as I did about car seats.
My mind is still reeling and I don’t even know how I’m supposed to move forward with my normal routine right now knowing that Emma is at the inn with the entire Keaton family, and my daughter.
My daughter.
God, that’s weird to say.
“It’ll be okay, Rome. I promise.” She closes the door to the backseat and opens the driver’s side door.
She slides in, closes the door and starts up the truck. I watch her back away, and Clark pulls in at the same time.
I take in a deep breath, not ready to tell Clark about what just happened. Mainly because I still don’t believe that it’s true. It’s not me. It’s not happening to me.
